A great driver, Martin Brundle found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time throughout his F1 career, which spanned from the mid-’80s to the mid-’90s. He drove for championship-winning teams like McLaren, Williams, and Benetton but ended his career with zero wins and just nine podium finishes.
Brundle was Williams’ reserve driver in 1988, four years before they became a championship-winning outfit. Similarly, he raced full-time for Benetton in 1992, just two seasons before Michael Schumacher secured his first drivers’ title with the team. He then joined McLaren in 1994, but by that time, the iconic team had lost its dominant edge following its split with Honda.
A career of bad luck and wrong decisions. Nevertheless, Brundle put his F1 career behind him to become one of the most successful members of the sport’s broadcasting team ever. He entered that world in 1996 and went on to work for ITV, BBC, and Sky Sports.
The 65-year-old has developed a cult following thanks to his commentary style and iconic grid walks, where he interviews celebrities from around the world. He is arguably one of the leading faces of F1 coverage today. However, the perception that fans have of his net worth doesn’t sit well with him.
In a recent feature with Sky Sports’ Natalie Pinkham, Brundle addressed rumors of his net worth being $100 million. “The number is incredibly, stupidly high. Utter nonsense,” he said.
To put this into context, most modern-day F1 drivers don’t have a net worth as high. Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris—two of the best and most popular drivers today—have a combined net worth reportedly around $70 million. Brundle feels his stature and past success don’t quite justify such a high net worth.
Regardless, the Brundle family remains an integral part of the F1 community, thanks to the former McLaren driver’s post-retirement success in commentary and broadcasting. In fact, his son, Alex Brundle, is following in his footsteps while also racing part-time.
Brundle father-son duo
Like Martin, who is a commentator for Sky Sports F1, Alex works with Formula 1’s proprietary OTT platform, F1 TV. In recent years, the 34-year-old has prioritized his role as commentator and analyst at F1 TV while keeping his endurance racing commitments to a minimum.
Previously focused mainly on junior formula races, Alex has recently had the opportunity to work in F1 on a broader scale. His knowledge of the intricacies of on-track racing comes in handy for his colleagues and provides valuable insights to fans watching F1 TV’s live broadcasts.
Even Martin is happy about the way Alex goes about his job. “I’m really proud of him. He does a wonderful job. He’s just a sort of better-educated, more intelligent version of me, really, when he’s commentating,” the 65-year-old said last year.
Who knows? Perhaps someday, the Brundle father-son duo could team up to call an F1 race together.
